Researchers at Harvard Medical School have important news for anyone trying to learn a new skill involving movement..

Whether you’re pitching a softball, working on your tee shot, or perfecting your serve, the quality of sleep you get is almost as important as practice. The doctors found that the final two hours of sleep during an eight-hour sleep night are particularly important.

The Harvard people discovered that people learning keyboard skills in the evening learned them 20 percent faster than people learning those skills in the morning. This was only true, however, if the evening people had a good night’s sleep.